Many different surgical table designs with and without attached arm and leg supports are known. Most surgical tables that have arm and leg supports rely on geared or wratchet type locking mechanisms to hold the support in a desired position. Although the surgical table, arm support and locking mechanism provide many of the needs of the surgeon during surgery, the locking mechanism remains difficult to utilize and prone to damage caused by accidental bumping. These shortcomings may hinder the efficiency of the surgeon in the surgical arena and increase the operational costs associated with replacing damaged parts.
Thus, as demonstrated by the limitations and disadvantages of the prior art surgical tables or chairs with attached supports, there is a need identified for an improved apparatus designed to provide all of the benefits associated with ease of movement of the arm support with minimal risk of damage caused by inadvertent bumping of the arm support.